Is it time for your content to speak more than one language?

For a bank, the ethnic diversity of their customers should be significant when it comes to creating content. Some research on the backgrounds of a bank’s business clients can provide great information on what languages could be considered for website content.

The idea is to create top level content in English, and then translate it into the key languages that have been identified through the background research. It’s about localising your content for other languages and optimising them with ideal keywords.

Creating multilingual content

Creating content in multiple language will generate some buzz around your whole small business section. Keep thse tips in mind:

Pitching – you can do it yourself, or you can hire a professional – which is by far the best option. Using online translation services like Google Translate is OK for individual words (and for deciphering any communication you may receive in another language), but they’re not a good idea for all the content. Often the message is lost in translation and cultural blunders are inevitable. Using professionals will ensure the content is accurate and that it addresses cultural differences.

Simplicity – avoid specific local references or phrases that work for one language only. For example, you might say in English “create a business plan that ticks all the boxes”, but when that’s translated into a different language it could have a completely different meaning. So your source content – the English version – shouldn’t contain too much localisation.

Marketing – get the message out there that your content is available in multiple languages. Whether you’re promoting a new financial tool, an industry event, business action plans or templates, make it very clear that the content is multilingual. This will give it instant appeal to business owners who speak different languages, and will boost the credibility of the bank in foreign markets.

At the end of the day, you’re looking to connect with a wider audience. Content marketing in different languages doesn’t have to be complex and time consuming, it just requires some planning and the use of professional translators. So with a bit of effort, you’ll connect with foreign customers and increase your online audience.

Here at TSBC, we can help you create multilingual versions of all your small business content. Contact us to find out how we can help you.

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Glen Senior

CEO Glen Senior has been helping small businesses start and grow since 1989. Along the way, he has published 6 books on small business development and business planning, created training courses, built e-learning platforms, and developed Microsoft USA’s Small Business Plus program which was delivered into 9 countries.Since 2005 Glen has focused on the banking sector and has built up an extensive knowledge of how banks can engage with the small business segment. He has presented at a number of small business banking conferences and is sought out as an opinion leader in this space.